Page 69 of Storm Warning

“See, there’s a problem with that solution. One woman you would have taken at gunpoint is mine. I don’t share what’s mine, Cliff. Do you understand me?”

“I hear you, man. Please, I didn’t touch her.”

“Not for lack of trying. That’s not a good way to cement our friendship. I say you owe me something for that.”

“What do you want? Money? I’ll share a cut of my pay for the job. We can negotiate.”

“Your employer paid you for a job you haven’t completed?”

“Half for agreeing to take the job, and half on delivery. I have the money. I can pay you. How much do you want?”

“Sorry, Cliff. Money won’t do it. I want information. You owe me one piece of information for even thinking about touching my woman. If you don’t tell me what I want to know, I’ll start using one of these tools to get what I want. So, what’s it going to be? One piece of information or more pain?”

“He’ll kill me.”

“Your employer has to find you first. I already have you within reach. Who do you think is the more dangerous of the two?”

“You and your friend,” Cliff muttered.

Andre leaned close. “You sound smart. Let’s see how smart you are. Who is your employer?”

Cliff paled. “I don’t know. We didn’t exchange names.”

“How did you connect with him?”

“Email. You can’t contact him,” Cliff added quickly. “He’ll know I talked.”

Excitement washed over Riley. An email address she could trace. It was probably a throwaway address, but it was a connection and brought them one step closer to identifying the man targeting her.

Elias frowned. “You said you received half the payment. How were you paid?”

“He transferred money into my account.”

Triumph filled her. This was what she and Zane needed. Perfect.

They spent another hour questioning Cliff but gained no more information for their efforts. Time to shut this down and leave Rod’s cabin before another shooter arrived looking for her and damaged the property.

Andre created a blindfold from a kitchen towel and tape. A minute later, a Fortress medic and two operatives walked into the kitchen.

Riley smiled at Jake Davenport, Eli Wolfe, and Jon Smith. She loved working with these three men. Of course, spending time with their wives wasn’t a hardship, either. She considered the three women friends.

Andre signaled the medic.

Jake opened his mike bag and brought out an alcohol wipe, a syringe, and a vial of medicine.

As soon as the wipe touched Cliff’s neck, his head whipped around. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”

Jon wrapped a muscled arm around Cliff’s head to hold him still. Jake plunged the needle into Cliff’s neck and depressed the plunger. Seconds later, their prisoner lost consciousness.

“Great to see you again, Riley.” Eli gave her a one-armed hug. “Brenna’s been asking about you. She wants to have dinner with you when you have a chance.”

“I’d love to.” She glanced at Andre and corrected herself. “We’d love to have dinner with you and your family.”

Eli’s eyebrows soared. “Like that, is it?”

Andre wrapped his hand around Riley’s in a public claim. “It is.”

Jon motioned to the prisoner. “What do you want us to do with this bruiser?”